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    Arrest made in fatal Michigan home invasion where perpetrators posed as utility men

    By Julia Reinstein,

    9 hours ago

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3gcjH6_0w5YEmtj00

    A suspect has been arrested and charged with murder in connection to a Michigan home invasion in which two men are believed to have gained entry by posing as utility workers.

    The Oakland County Sheriff's Office identified him as Carlos Jose Hernandez, 37, and said they are seeking his extradition from Louisiana.

    The second suspect remains at large, and the sheriff's office is urging anyone with information that could lead to an arrest to get in touch.

    On Friday, a 72-year-old man was found dead in the basement of his Rochester Hills home, according to the sheriff's office. His wife, who called 911, had been tied up with her hands duct-taped.

    It is not yet clear how the man, identified as Hussein Murray, was killed.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0ZNohO_0w5YEmtj00
    Oakland County Sheriff’s Office - PHOTO: Suspect in the Rochester Hills homicide, Carlos Jose Hernandez, 37, has been charged with murder among other charges.

    "Because of the gruesome nature of the injuries, it was not immediately clear if he had been shot or bludgeoned to death," the sheriff's department said in a press release.

    The woman told law enforcement officials that the night before the attack, the two suspects had also shown up to the home claiming to be responding to a gas leak, but they were not allowed inside.

    When they showed up again on Friday, they were let into the home, and her husband went with them into the basement, "ostensibly to look for the leak," according to the sheriff's department.

    MORE: Emergency preparedness supplies and expert tips for staying safe

    When they came back upstairs without her husband, they tied her up and taped her hands, the woman said. She did not see him come out afterward and "assumed he had been kidnapped."

    In home security camera footage released by the sheriff's department, the since-arrested suspect can be seen wearing a utility worker's uniform and a mask while holding a clipboard.

    "We're DTE. We're checking for gas leaks," the man can be heard saying in the video, naming the Michigan-based energy company.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4Qb75n_0w5YEmtj00
    Oakland County Sheriff’s Office - PHOTO: The arrested suspect, identified by the sheriff's office as Carlos Jose Hernandez, seen on the victim's home security camera footage the night before the alleged homicide.

    In a statement after the incident, DTE urged customers to "be alert for DTE Energy impersonators."

    "If anyone arrives at your home or business claiming they are from DTE, please ask to see a badge with a photo ID. If the person refuses to show their badge, do not allow them entry into your home. If the person becomes agitated or acts in a strange manner, call 911 immediately," the company said.

    In an interview with a Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ , Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard described Murray as "a loving guy, owned a business, cared about his neighborhood and his community."

    "[He] shouldn't have been a target of this — no one should ever be a target of this," Bouchard said.

    Murray owned a jewelry and pawn shop, according to WXYZ.

    Bouchard said they believe Murray's killing was "very targeted."

    "It wasn't random," Bouchard said. "They're not just knocking on doors and doing this."

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    Comments / 2
    Add a Comment
    Linda Finley
    5h ago
    I'm so glad he's been caught....now we need his partner in crime so justice can be had for this family. So sorry for their loss.
    Truth Hurts
    7h ago
    What a Fat pile of Sh$t!!
    View all comments
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